Book Notes

Oxford Illustrated History of Christianity

ed. John McManners (Oxford Univ. Press, 1990)

A composite picture of 2,000 years of Christianity throughout the world; also discusses relations between Christianity and Judaism and Christianity and Islam. Over 350 illustrations, including 32 color plates and 10 maps.

Are These the Words of Jesus?

Ian Wilson (Lennard Publishers, 1990; distributed in U.S. by Seven Hills Book Dist.)

A fresh look at the teachings of Jesus that are found in the Bible, in light of research from the neglected apocryphal sources, and recently discovered manuscripts such as the Nag Hammadi Gospel of Thomas and the Mar Saba “Secret Gospel.” An analytical critique that assesses the authenticity of the various sources.

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary

ed. Raymond E. Brown, S.S., Joseph Fitzmyer, S.J. and Roland E. Murphy, O. Carm. (Prentice Hall, 2nd. ed., 1990)

Concentrates on the cultural, historical, literary and religious issues of the Scriptures (including Apocrypha, Dead Sea Scrolls and Patristic literature). Summarizes varied explanations of the Biblical text. Enlarged and extensively rewritten since the first edition appeared in 1968; over two-thirds of the material is new.

Understanding Jesus Today series